Herpetologist Ben Tapley: 'Alligators' tongues run the full length of the lower jaw – and an adult male alligator could have a snout up to two feet long.' Photograph: GNM Imaging

Alligators' tongues sit in their lower mouths and run the full length of the lower jaw, making them nearly the same length as their long snouts – and an adult male alligator could have a snout up to two feet long.

Alligators spend a lot of time immersed in water, so need to make sure they don't get any fluid in their lungs or stomach. They have a clever way of stopping this: at the back of the tongue is a special piece of flesh called a palatal valve, which acts as a seal on their throats and stops unwanted water or air from getting in.

The palatal valve also provides alligators with a very helpful tool for hunting and catching their prey under the surface: by closing the seal, an alligator is able to open its mouth fully when it is submerged and easily snatch its prey.

Incidentally, unlike alligators, crocodiles' tongues are attached to the roof of their mouth. So an alligator can stick out its tongue, but a crocodile cannot.

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